As updates on the impact of the coronavirus continue to be released, we want to take a moment to inform you of the heightened preventative measures we have put in place at Cove Forge Behavioral Health Center to keep our patients, their families, and our employees safe. All efforts are guided by and in adherence to the recommendations distributed by the CDC.

Please note that for the safety of our patients, their families, and our staff, on-site visitation is no longer allowed at Cove Forge Behavioral Health Center.

This restriction has been implemented in compliance with updated corporate and state regulations to further reduce the risks associated with COVID-19.

We are offering visitation through telehealth services so that our patients can remain connected to their loved ones.

Alternate methods of communication for other services are being vetted and may be offered when deemed clinically appropriate.

For specific information regarding these changes and limitations, please contact us directly.

CDC updates are consistently monitored to ensure that all guidance followed is based on the latest information released.

All staff has received infection prevention and control training.

Thorough disinfection and hygiene guidance has been provided.

Patient care supplies such as masks and hand sanitizer are being monitored and utilized.

Temperature and symptom screening protocols are in place for all patients and staff.

Social distancing strategies have been implemented to ensure that patients and staff maintain proper distance from one another at all times.

Heroin is a powerful and addictive member of the opioid category of drugs. Opioids are substances that occur naturally or are synthesized from elements of the opium poppy plant. Heroin, which is synthesized from morphine, usually appears as powder or a sticky, black, tar-like substance. Individuals who abuse heroin typically do so by smoking, snorting, or injecting the drug. When ingested, heroin is converted by the body back into morphine. In this form, the drug binds to receptors in the central nervous system that are associated with pain and pleasure. These receptors are also located in the area of the brain that controls involuntary activities, such as respiration and heartbeat, which puts users at risk for a host of negative outcomes.

When first ingested, heroin produces an intense rush of euphoria, followed by a state of serene drowsiness. These effects make heroin an enticing substance for individuals who desire a powerful recreational high. However, as noted in the previous paragraph, heroin abuse can cause many immediate and long-term problems, including the development of heroin use disorder. The addictive nature of this dangerous drug means that heroin use disorder can begin to develop within the first few times that a person abuses the substance. The strong compulsion to continue to abuse heroin, combined with the painful withdrawal symptoms that can set in soon after a person stops using the drug, make heroin use disorder difficult to overcome without proper professional intervention from a heroin addiction treatment and rehab center.

Thankfully, specialized treatment and rehab such as the comprehensive services that are available at Cove Forge Behavioral Health System, located in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, have helped many men and women end their dependence upon heroin and learn how to make the lifestyle changes that support their pursuit of healthy, drug-free futures.

How to Help a Loved One

Helping a loved one get treatment for heroin addiction

Discovering that someone you care about has been abusing heroin or has developed heroin use disorder can be a disconcerting experience. It is no secret that heroin abuse is a life-threatening behavior, but what you may not realize is that the situation is not hopeless and that you are not helpless. Please consider the following:

First, understand that if your loved one has developed heroin use disorder, he or she is struggling with a chronic, progressive disease that, among other effects, virtually robs him or her of the ability to control his or her behaviors. A heroin addiction is not a failure of willpower or a lack of character.

Educate yourself about the disease of addiction in general as well as the unique challenges faced by individuals who have become dependent upon heroin. Visit reputable websites and, if possible, consult with mental heal experts, addiction treatment centers, or community-based support organizations. The better you understand what your loved one is experiencing, the more prepared you will be to provide meaningful support.

Research the types of treatment and rehab at addiction treatment centers that have helped others who were struggling with heroin use disorder, and identify centers that appear to offer the type and level of care that your loved one needs.

Learn how to discuss your concerns and share your findings with your loved one. This is an important conversation that, if not handled properly, can devolve into a counterproductive exchange of accusations and denials. Consult with experts to find out how to increase the likelihood that your conversation with your loved one will remain positive and productive.

Once your loved one has agreed that he or she needs help, provide whatever logistical support you can while your loved one is in treatment and rehab at an heroin addiction treatment center. Make appointments, accompany him or her to program visits, provide transportation, arrange for childcare, and remove all other obstacles that may prevent your loved one from getting the help that he or she needs.

Plan to remain an active and positive member of your loved one’s support network before, during, and after his or her time in treatment and rehab at his or her chosen center for heroin addiction. Recovery is a lifelong effort, and your support can be essential.

Finally, do not neglect your own needs. The impact of chemical dependency is not limited to the afflicted individual, and you cannot be a source of support for your loved one if you are not attending to your own physical, emotional, and social needs. In order to be strong for your friend or family member, you need to be strong for yourself too.

Heroin abuse and untreated heroin use disorder can have a negative impact on virtually all areas of an individual’s life, including his or her physical, psychological, emotional, and socioeconomic wellbeing. Chronic heroin abuse puts individuals at risk for a host of physical problems, including muscle weakness, organ damage, sexual dysfunction, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, and immediate death from overdose. Cognitive deficiencies, memory loss, and even changes to one’s brain structure can also result from the continued abuse of heroin. In addition to this physical and mental damage, people who struggle with heroin use disorder will have extreme difficulty remaining employed, participating in healthy interpersonal relationships, meeting financial responsibilities, and avoiding arrest and incarceration. Despair, depression, hopelessness, and homelessness are all too common outcomes for individuals who fail to get the effective treatment and rehab from a high-quality addiction treatment center that would allow them to overcome their heroin use disorder and once again live a productive and satisfying life.

Located in the serene countryside of historic Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, Cove Forge Behavioral Health System is a residential treatment and rehab center that provides life-changing services to adults, ages 18 and above, who are dealing with substance abuse, chemical dependency, and certain other co-occurring mental health disorders. At Cove Forge, men and women in crisis can receive a full continuum of evidence-based, research-supported care at our treatment and rehab center that is provided by dedicated professionals in a supportive atmosphere of dignity and respect.

Men and women who are struggling with substance abuse or addiction may receive treatment and rehab in our traditional rehabilitation program at our center. Individuals whose battle with heroin addiction is accompanied by a co-occurring mental health disorder may be best served in our dual diagnosis rehabilitation program. The dual diagnosis treatment option allows individuals at our treatment and rehab center to complete a personalized treatment plan that includes working with both a mental health counselor and a chemical dependency counselor.

Regardless of whether an individual participates in our traditional rehabilitation program or our dual diagnosis rehabilitation program, he or she will receive comprehensive treatment and rehab that has been customized to meet his or her unique needs. Depending upon the individual’s specific course of treatment, his or her Cove Forge experience may include the following elements:

Detoxification: Our detox program is a safe medically monitored environment in which individuals can rid their bodies of heroin prior to starting the comprehensive residential phase of their recovery. Care within our detox program at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center is provided by compassionate and experienced professionals who endeavor to make detox as safe and comfortable as possible.

Medication management: When an individual is dealing with both drug dependency and a co-occurring mental health disorder, the inclusion of certain medications in his or her treatment and rehab plan may provide him or her with the best opportunity to achieve successful long-term recovery. All individuals who enter the dual diagnosis treatment program at Cove Forge will meet with a psychiatrist within 72 hours of their admission at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center to determine if their treatment should include medication. Those who receive medication management services at Cove Forge Behavioral Health System will have the opportunity to attend additional meetings with a psychiatrist on an as-needed basis. Nurses, physicians, and physician assistants are also available at our Williamsburg-based treatment center to provide medication management services.

Individual therapy: Individual therapy is an excellent opportunity for individuals in treatment to meet with a counselor to process successes or setbacks and address other issues that are best discussed in a one-on-one session. While in treatment and rehab for heroin dependency at Cove Forge, individuals will participate in at least one 30-minute individual therapy session each week at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center. Additional individual therapy sessions may be scheduled on an as-needed basis at our center.

Group therapy: Group therapy is a fundamental element of treatment at Cove Forge Behavioral Health System. Group sessions at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center provide individuals with the opportunity to share their insights, learn from the experiences of others, and practice healthy interpersonal communication skills, all under the guidance of a qualified and experienced professional. Individuals in treatment and rehab at Cove Forge have the opportunity to participate in multiple group therapy sessions every day. The types of groups offered during an individual’s time at Cove Forge may include the following:

12-Step Meetings

Chemical Dependency Groups

Recovery Groups

Focus Groups

Refocus Groups

Mental Health Groups

Gratitude Groups

Gender Groups

Community Meetings

The specific content of any group will depend upon the contributions of the participants. However, during an individual’s time at Cove Forge, the following topics may be addressed during group therapy sessions at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center:

Continuing care

12-Step study

Stress management

Relapse prevention

Post-acute withdrawal education

Continuing education

Family therapy: At Cove Forge Behavioral Health System, we understand the many ways that family members may be affected by an individual’s abuse of heroin, and we appreciate the important contributions that family members can make in the effort to support their loved one’s treatment and recovery. For these reasons, family therapy sessions are offered on an as-needed basis at our Williamsburg, PA treatment and rehab center. Family therapy sessions are conducted by experienced counselors and can also be beneficial in helping family members learn about their loved one’s recovery, address issues that affect them as individuals and as a family, and how they can best support their loved one’s continued successful recovery.

Family Program: The Family Program at Cove Forge is offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays each week at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center. This program provides educational information for both the individuals who are in treatment and their family members. As part of this program at our treatment center, families can learn about the disease of chemical dependency and gain an understanding of what is involved in the recovery process. Additionally, individuals and their family members may use this time to address issues that may be affecting the recovery potential of the family system.

Experiential therapy: In addition to the more traditional therapeutic interventions, experiential therapies may also be incorporated into an individual’s treatment and rehab plan for heroin addiction during his or her time at Cove Forge. Experiential therapy options offered include the following:

Daily ropes / activities

Spirituality group

Music group

Exercise group

Bible study

Music program: Cove Forge offers an expanded music program that is designed to allow individuals in recovery to rediscover their passion for music. This program involves the study of music history and music appreciation, while also providing individuals at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center with the chance to engage in a performance group and a recording group. Individuals who wish to take part in the music program during their time at Cove Forge will have the opportunity to write, produce, and record music, as well as to participate in performances.

H.O.P.E. Program: Cove Forge’s Heroin Opiate Positive Experience (H.O.P.E.) Program is designed to help individuals who are dependent on opioids truly recover from the effects of a destabilized endorphin system by offering a number of activities that help encourage a truly positive transformation. When individuals come to Cove Forge battling an addiction to heroin and opioids at the same time, they may benefit from participating in this opioid-specific treatment and rehab program, which includes the following life-changing activities:

P.A.W.S group

Brainwave entrainment

Humor group

Exercise program

Endorphin-enhanced foods

IT DID/I DID activity

Big Brother/Big Sister

Individual therapy sessions

Smoothie

Vivitrol/ReVia recovery support

Education opportunities with our H.O.P.E. nurses

Continuing Care

Continuing care and levels of treatment for heroin

At Cove Forge, we understand that residential rehabilitation is just one step along the path of long-term recovery. To ensure that all who heal with us at our heroin addiction treatment and rehab center are best prepared to maintain and build upon the successes they may while in treatment, we provide thorough discharge planning services that begin the day a man or woman enters our program. Each individual is assigned a designated case manager who will work with him or her throughout his or her time treatment and rehab at our center to ensure that, when treatment has been completed, he or she has a complete plan that identifies the professional referrals, community-based services, and other resources that will be necessary to support his or her long-term recovery.

Regardless of a person’s past struggles, our goal at Cove Forge Behavioral Health System is to provide him or her with the comprehensive treatment that help him or her overcome the compulsion to abuse heroin and make the other lifestyle changes that will allow him or her to live a happier and healthier life, free from the chains of chemical dependency. If you or someone you care about could benefit from the life-changing treatment for heroin addiction at Cove Forge in Williamsburg, PA, contact our treatment center today. We can help.